Free An Impostor in Town (Colorado Series) by Denise Moncrief Page B

tear into ego. She wanted the wound to go deep, as deep as the wounds he had inflicted on her.
    “I said shut up.” He raised his hand to strike her. She pressed against the passenger door. He missed and swore, flexing his fingers.
    “I think you’re lying. You’ve never been a good liar.”
    “Lying? About what?” Once again, he turned his attention from the road.
    “Cory isn’t here. If you’re trying to scare me, it’s not working.”
    “Oh, baby. That’s priceless. You’re scared. You’re plenty scared.” He cackled. “You’re scared of Cory.” She shoved him hard. The car swerved. “Stop that.” She shoved him again. He swung at her. “Stop that,” he yelled again.
    “Make me.”
    He grabbed her by her shirt. “I told you to shut up.”
    She relaxed, and he released his grip. Maybe she should gather her strength for a more opportune moment. Her wounds pestered her. She was sore all over. Dying would have been a relief, but she refused to give in without a fight. She wouldn’t go easy.
    Just outside of town, he turned off the highway and drove down a dirt track overgrown with weeds between the tire ruts. After a couple of miles, he drove her car into a stand of pines where another car was hidden. She fumbled with the door lock, but her actions had slowed and she wasn’t fast enough to make a break for it. He yanked her out of her car and punched her hard in the gut. She bent over double and then fell. Before he pulled her from the ground and pushed her into the new car, he rummaged in the trunk and then bound her wrists behind her back with duct tape. Apparently, he didn’t want her shoving him again. Back on the highway, he flew past Hermosa, heading into the mountains toward Purgatory and Durango Mountain Resort.
    Didn’t he say Cory was at the lift work site pretending to be Jeff? She couldn’t let Jeff get to the ski area. Adrenaline coursed through her veins. She braced her back on the door and kicked him hard with both feet. He lost his grip on the steering wheel and grabbed his side. The car veered toward the edge of the road. Below gushed a roaring creek. A long drop if the car tumbled over the side.
    He regained control and stopped on the shoulder, jumped from the vehicle, and yanked her out the door before she could react. She nearly fell to her knees.
    She used her weight to her advantage, making him drag her toward the woods along the road. “You’re just like your father. You take things, use them up, and then toss them aside. No wonder Carol ditched you. You probably couldn’t give her what she wanted. You’re a worthless piece of trash.”
    “You married a man old enough to be your grandfather. What does that make you? All you wanted was the old man’s money.”
    “His money? Are you crazy? No amount of money would ever be worth living with your family. You’re all sick.” She spat her contempt at him and his family. “I tried to kill myself because of him.”
    “Don’t ever call me crazy.” He spun her around and used a knife to slit the tape that bound her wrists, nicking her in the process.
    She rubbed the throbbing pain and turned toward him, never letting her eyes stray from his. “You won’t take me to Cory. He wants a piece of you as bad as he wants a piece of me. Go ahead. Take me to Cory. He’ll destroy you.”
    Her desperate taunt got his attention. He raised his fist. She threw up her hands to ward off another blow. “Please don’t do that! I’ll get the money somehow. I promise.”
    A vein pulsed in Jeff’s neck. He worked his jaw muscles. Maybe she had finally pushed him beyond his limited patience—beyond what his fractured ego could handle. His eyes leaked venom. Blow after blow landed on her neck, shoulders, and arms. “I want the money now!”
    She stumbled. Something hard bumped against her thigh. The gun. She had forgotten about it. Why hadn’t she pulled it on him sooner? Was it still in her coat? Of course, it was. She jammed her hand